


Chaos and Love?

by thearkenstxne



Category: Jurassic Park (1993), Jurassic Park (Movies), Jurassic Park Series - Michael Crichton
Genre: Dinosaurs, F/M, Flirting, More tags will come, ian flirts a lot, it's just really cute, lots of flirting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 13:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11014665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearkenstxne/pseuds/thearkenstxne
Summary: Willow had been stuck on that damn island for too long. She was bored and needed something new. So, when Ian Malcolm showed up, something new started happening.





	1. Chapter 1

Living on an island filled with dinosaurs was definitely not all it was cracked up to be. For one thing, I was in charge of security, so I hardly even saw the dinosaurs. And for another thing, a ton of the awesomeness was sucked out of dinosaurs when they brutally killed two of your colleagues. And for a final thing, it was pretty boring, especially when you knew everyone on the island. It was especially boring today, as I sat in front of a computer, scrolling through lines and lines of text. Suddenly the door banged open and two men entered. I lifted my head and watched Mr. Arnold and Muldoon hurry in. Arnold muttered a quick hello to me around his cigarette and took his place at his computer. This signaled the end of my shift and I stood up, cracking my neck. Muldoon flashed me a smile and I smiled back. He was one of my few friends on this damn island and we got along nicely.  
"Those visitors are arriving today." He said to me, his Australian accent warping his voice.  
"Right." I replied. "So, there's going to be a paleontologist, a botanist, a lawyer and the mathematician, correct?" I asked, counting them off on my fingers.  
Muldoon nodded. "That's right. As usual, you are on top of everything, Willow." He glanced at his watch, then back up at me. "In fact, they should be here any minute. Want to greet them?" I nodded and we walked out into the foyer of the main lodge. We'd only been waiting about five minutes, joking around with each other as we waited, when we heard the crunch of footsteps outside and several voices. I couldn't make out what they were saying but it sounded urgent. Then the door opened and in walked several people.  
"Hi!" I said, offering a bright smile to the three men and one woman who walked in.  
"Ah!" Mr. Hammond appeared from the group. "Everyone, this is Willow, our head of security, and Mr. Muldoon, who is our game warden." They all mumbled a hello. "Willow, Muldoon, this is Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ellie Sattler, Dr. Ian Malcolm, and Mr. Ed Regis." My gaze flickered from Dr. Grant, a tall, tan, broad-shouldered man, to Dr. Sattler, a pretty, young, blonde woman with an intelligent gaze. I spared a glance at Mr. Regis, who looked a little nervous and was kind of scrawny, then my eyes landed on Dr. Ian Malcolm. I'd heard a lot about him, especially about how he disagreed with Mr. Hammond. I couldn't help but agree with Dr. Malcolm, although I'd never tell Hammond that. He was definitely not what I expected at all. I thought he'd be an old man, like Hammond, but he was young with tan skin and curly black hair. He wore glasses that looked a little like mine, had full lips twisted in a smirk and a lean but muscular frame dressed in all black. He was tall, I realized. Much taller than me, although I was only 5'4, so that wasn't saying much. I snapped my gaze away from him Hammond began speaking.  
"Today, you are just going to get settled in, we'll have dinner and I'll show you the labs, but tomorrow we'll go on the tour." The old man said, smiling rather widely. He glanced at me. "Willow here will take you on the tour."  
I raised an eyebrow, pushing my glasses up on my face. "Mr. Hammond, I'm not one of the people around here that knows much about the dinosaurs."  
"Nonsense, dear! You grew up on this island." Hammond chuckled, waving his hand as if he was pushing away my excuse. I shrugged, resisting the urge to roll my eyes, and as I looked away, I caught Dr. Malcolm's gaze. His lips quirked up in a smile at me, but I glanced away quickly, my cheeks turning a tiny bit pink. Dr. Malcolm was rather attractive, but I felt a little rude tearing my gaze away from him like that. I tentatively glanced at him, only to find his eyes still on me. When our eyes met again, his smile widened and I smiled back, a little shyly.  
Mr. Hammond clapped his hands, wrenching my attention away from Dr. Malcolm. "Alright, shall we go to the labs?" He turned to Muldoon and me. "Would you two go check on dinner? It should be almost ready." The old man asked quietly, not waiting for a reply as he walked off with the rest of them.  
I whirled towards Muldoon. "Not it!" I cried, at the same time he said it. He chuckled, shaking his head. "Fine. Rock, paper, scissors. Two out of three." I ordered, sticking my hands out. Muldoon nodded, a competitive look in his eyes. Five minutes later, I was cursing enough to make sailors blush. "Damn you. Damn you, how'd you win again?" I growled.  
"I won fair and square, love." Muldoon laughed, walking away. "Have fun checking on dinner!" I cursed again, going up to my room first. I grabbed the book I'd been reading and then went to the kitchen.  
"Hammond wanted me to check up on how you guys are doing." I said, peeking my head into the hot kitchen.  
"Fine, fine, darling!" The head chef cried, coming over to me. She shook my hand quickly. "We should be ready in about ten minutes."  
I nodded. "Good. That's when the group should be ready." Before I could leave, the blustery chef made me take a plate heaped with food. I carefully balanced it as I sat down at one of the tables in the dining room. Pulling out my book, I began eating as I read. I finished my food rather quickly, but just sat there, completely engrossed in my book about psychology. Suddenly someone cleared their throat above me and I literally jumped, my book slamming closed as I looked up.  
"Shit." It was Dr. Malcolm, looking like he was trying not to laugh. "I didn't mean to scare you, I thought you'd noticed me."  
I jumped out of my seat. "Dr. Malcolm! How can I help you?"  
He waved his hand dismissively, sitting down across from me. I followed suit. "I was just wondering what book you were reading, Miss Willow. You seemed practically entranced by it."  
I felt a blush warm my cheeks. "It's about psychology." I said quietly, pulling my book towards me. I looked up to see him gazing at me intently. "I've always wanted to be a psychologist." I admitted, shrugging a little.  
Dr. Malcolm leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Then why aren't you a psychologist?"  
"Well, I'm trying to raise enough money to get off this island, then I'll hopefully go to college." I said, pushing my glasses up. I frowned, biting my lip. "I should've gone to college when I was eighteen, but now I'm twenty-four and still not off this island."  
"You don't happen to be trapped on this island, do you?" Dr. Malcolm asked, a slight smile playing around his lips. Before I could reply, he continued. "Because if you were trapped, that'd make you a damsel in distress and I always rescue a damsel in distress." He finished, chuckling.  
I laughed, shaking my head. "No, unfortunately, Dr. Malcolm, I'm not trapped here." I smiled sadly. "The only person who can save me is myself." He looked confused, but suddenly my watch beeped. I looked down and realized it was 7:55 already. My next shift in security was at 8:00. "Oh, crap." I muttered, standing up. "I have to go, Dr. Malcolm, but it was nice talking to you." Before he could answer, I grabbed my tray and hurried from the room.


	2. Chapter 2

My cheeks were still red and I kept smiling to myself as I made my way down to the control room. I tried to brush Dr. Malcolm from my memory for now, but it didn't really work. He really was handsome, wasn't he? I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I ran into Muldoon, who was exiting the control room.

  
"Oh, Willow!" The game warden's arm shot out and steadied me. "I was just about to look for you. Since you have to give the tour tomorrow, your shift is being given to Arnold. We don't want you to be tired."

  
I blinked, surprised. "Oh. That's nice of you guys."

  
Muldoon studied me, his intelligent eyes narrowing. "Are you alright? Your cheeks are very pink."

  
"Oh! Yes! I'm quite well, actually!" I said, loudly. He only looked more suspicious, so I turned and fled up to my room. I took a shower, not bothering to blow dry my hair. Letting it flow down my back, it curled up to its usual wavy self and I reached for my book. It wasn't there. I creased my eyebrows, beginning to look around my room for it. As I lifted up my pillows, already beginning to curse, there was a knock on my door. I looked up, raising an eyebrow. It was 9:00. Who would visit me at this hour? I hurried across the room, swinging the door open.

  
"Dr. Malcolm!" I said, my eyes widening.

  
"Miss Willow." He replied, offering me a smile. "You left your book in the dining room, so I figured I'd return it."

  
I smiled, relaxing. "Thank you so much! I was driving myself crazy looking for it." I took my book from his hand.

  
He chuckled, the sound reverberating in my quiet room. "I can imagine." I turned, placing the book on my desk. "Ah, Miss Willow, you don't need to call me Dr. Malcolm. Ian is fine." He said, causing me to turn towards him, a small smile turning up the corners of my mouth.

  
"Alright, Ian. As long as you call me Willow and not Miss Willow." I retorted, eliciting a laugh from him.

  
"Touché." Ian agreed, tilting his head at me.

  
I suddenly felt awkward and vulnerable in my pajamas. I wished I'd worn pajama pants instead of my short pajama shorts and an overlarge t-shirt. "Um, do you want to come in?" I offered, leaning my head on my door.

  
"I'd love to." He answered, so I moved aside and he stepped into my room. As he walked past me, I stifled a laugh. I was so short that I barely came up to his shoulder. That was a little embarrassing.  
I gestured for him to sit down in my chair and when he did, I sat down cross-legged on my bed. "So, I have a question for you, Willow." Ian stated, crossing his legs.

  
I pushed my glasses up. "Go ahead."

  
"Why are you staying on this island if you want to be a psychologist?" He asked, studying me with his brilliant eyes.

  
I bit my lip, fidgeting with my bed cover. "My mom worked on this island." I finally said. "She helped build the security for the enclosures and worked on the computers." I smiled a little, thinking of my mother. "She was a genius, but she was so humble that she'd never admit it." I laughed, running a hand through my hair. Ian smiled at me, his eyes never leaving me. "But the only reason she worked for InGen was because she owed them a ton of money. I never knew why, I just knew that she did." I took a deep breath. "Then my mom had a heart attack and passed away." Ian sucked in a breath and I took a moment to steady myself before continuing. "She was only forty-two." I whispered, wiping away a tear before he could see it. "The doctors said it was because of stress, which I had no doubt was true, because she was pushed to the limit working for this damn place." I took a trembling breath, before continuing. "When she died, the debt passed on to me. I'm working here until I can pay it off, then I'm getting the hell off of here and going to college."

  
For a minute we were both quiet. I was lost in thoughts of my mother, while Ian was gazing out the window thoughtfully. "How old did you say you were?" He finally asked, his eyes landing on me again.

  
"I'm twenty-four." I answered, meeting his eyes. Then I cocked my head. "How old are you?"

  
He smiled. "Thirty-three." I must've looked a little shocked because he chuckled. "I don't look that old, do I?"

  
I laughed. "No, it's just you're so successful already and you're so young."

  
Instead of laughing like I thought he would, he grew somber. "Well, you're far too young to have such a burden on your shoulders."

  
"I'm not that young." I replied, tilting my head.

  
Ian studied me for a minute and I almost looked away. "Well, you're the youngest on the island, are you not?"

  
"Nope. Mr. Hammond's grand kids are the youngest." I answered, taking my glasses off and cleaning them off with my shirt.

  
"There are kids here?!" Ian cried, sitting up straight.

  
I shoved my glasses back on. "Yeah, I know, it's the worst idea I've ever heard." I shook my head. "We don't know how it's gonna turn out."

  
He took a deep breath, calming himself down, then relaxed. "Willow, what's your opinion of making this island?"

  
My eyes widened. "You want my opinion?" Ian nodded, his lips quirking up. "Um, I think it might be one of the most terrible and dangerous ideas ever." I replied softly, tugging on my hair. "Mr. Hammond just brought back a ton of animals that have been extinct for millions of years and he expects them to listen to him?" I shook my head again, leaning back. "He's an old man with tons of money and no one to tell him no."

  
Ian nodded vigorously. "You, Willow, might be one of the smartest people on this island."

  
I blushed, smiling. "Maybe, but I'm definitely not as smart as the renowned Dr. Ian Malcolm."

  
This time, he definitely laughed, then stood up. "Well, I'd better get to my own rooms." He said, smiling at me. I jumped up and opened the door for him.

  
"See you in the morning." I said, leaning against the doorframe.

  
"Yes. And Willow?" Ian called as I turned away. I looked back towards him. "I very much enjoy talking with you." Before I could reply, he was already walking away. I laughed quietly, shutting my door and sliding against it. He was certainly something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like it!! I'll be trying to post more bc I'm on summer break now!


	3. Chapter 3

Ian Malcolm's POV  
I walked away from Willow's room, my thoughts racing. She was certainly something. She was very smart, smarter than she probably realized. Not to mention absolutely stunning. With her hazel eyes, wavy brown hair and tan skin that hinted at Hispanic ancestors, she was a beauty. She shouldn't be confined to this island. Willow had her whole life ahead of her and yet, she probably didn't remember anything beyond this island. As I rounded another corner, I ran smack into Mr. Hammond.

  
"Oh, Dr. Malcolm!" He cried, his shrill voice already causing me a headache. "What are you doing in this part of the lodge?"

  
"I was visiting Willow. She'd left her book with me, so I returned it." I replied, looking down at the man who was much shorter than me. Well, then again, I was rather tall.

  
Hammond clicked his tongue in a 'tsk' noise. "Oh, don't you bother with her. She's a silly girl with big dreams that'll get her nowhere."

  
I felt a flash of annoyance and protection. "Well, it seems to me, Willow happens to be the smartest person on this damn rock you call an island."

  
"No, no. She may seem that way, but she's practically a child." He chuckled, his voice so condescending that it seriously pissed me off.

  
"She's twenty-four, not a child." I growled.

  
Hammond raised an eyebrow. "Well, it seems you're rather close with her. I must advise against that. She'll never really amount to much." I opened my mouth to reply, but the old man was already hurrying off, surprisingly fast for his age. I watched him go, then saw a flicker from down the hallway that I'd come. It was Willow. She had heard everything. As I watched, she walked over to me slowly, stopping right next to me. God, she was rather short. She barely came up to my shoulders. I thought that was damn adorable.

  
"Thank you." Willow whispered, then she turned and walked back the way she came.

  
Willow's POV  
The next morning, I rolled out of bed, pulling on some denim shorts and a tank top. I tamed my hair into a ponytail and walked downstairs to the dining room. Dr. Sattler and Dr. Grant were eating breakfast together, so I walked over to them.

  
"Hi." I smiled, a little shyly. I mean, I'd been stuck with the same people for nearly five years, so of course I'd be nervous when I met new people.

  
"Good morning." Dr. Sattler smiled brightly at me. "It was Willow, right?"

  
I nodded, sitting down across from her. "That's right, Dr. Sattler."

  
"Oh, please." She scoffed. "Call me Ellie. And that's Alan." She pointed at Dr. Grant next to me. I smiled, but before I could reply, Mr. Hammond burst into the room from the kitchen. I forced a fake smile on my face. I'd heard what he had said about me last night, but unless I wanted to get fired, I'd keep my mouth shut. I'd also heard Ian sticking up for me, which made me a tiny bit giddy, I'd admit.

  
"Good morning, everyone!" The old man said cheerfully. "Once my grandchildren get to the island, we'll be ready to start the tour." I briefly registered Ellie and Alan's shocked faces at the mention of children coming to the island, before I heard a soft voice behind me.

  
"So, I guess you lied to me, huh." Ian's voice was quiet, but I could feel his warm presence directly behind me.

  
I whirled, looking up at him. "Lied about what?" I asked, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach.

  
His mouth quirked up in a smile as he sat down next to me. "You technically are the youngest on the island, since the kids aren't here yet."

  
I laughed, pushing my glasses up. "I guess you caught me."

  
Mr. Hammond interrupted us, rather rudely. "Willow, come with me to get the children."

  
I stood up, barely even able to take a couple bites of a muffin. "Okay." As I followed the old man, I glanced back to see Ian watching. His gaze was almost angry as he glared at Hammond's back, but when he looked at me, he relaxed into a smile. When we reached the helipad, two small children barreled into me.

  
"Willow!" The boy, named Tim, squealed.

  
The girl, Lex, who was older, was a little calmer. "Hi, Willow! We haven't seen you in forever!"

  
I smiled down at them. They used to visit before the dinosaurs had been brought here. "You guys are getting so big." I laughed, ruffling Tim's hair. They hugged their grandfather hello, then each grabbed one of my hands as we made our way back to the lodge. "So, how've things been with you guys?" I asked Lex, grinning as she swung our hands back and forth.

  
She frowned. "Our parents are getting a divorce."

  
"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry." I said, momentarily letting go of her hand and smoothing her hair back.

  
"Hey, Willow! Do you think you can still give me a piggy-back ride?" Tim asked, smiling up at me. He was missing a tooth and it made him even more adorable.

  
I squeezed Lex's hand once more before letting go. "Duh, of course I can!" I told Tim. "You'll never be to big for me to give you a piggy-back ride!" He leapt onto my back and I held him. Luckily he was still pretty light and it was easy to carry him into the main foyer of the lodge.

  
"Spin around, spin around!" Tim cried, his hands clutching each other around my neck. I obliged and spun, eliciting shrieks of laughter from the little boy.

  
Finally, I stopped, out of breath. "Alright, buddy. Time to stop. I'm getting a little tired." I said, dropping Tim to the ground. He laughed and ran to stand next to his sister.

  
"You alright there, Willow?" Ian suddenly spoke from behind me.

  
I jumped and turned towards him, my eyes wide. "Jesus, how do you move so quietly? You're like six feet tall!"

  
He flashed a grin at me. "Actually, I'm six feet, four inches." I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop a grin from slipping onto my face. "How tall are you?" Ian asked, looking down at me.

  
I blushed, pushing my glasses up. "Five feet, four inches."

  
"Oh, that's damn adorable." Ian laughed, throwing his head back.

  
I pursed my lips. "It's not my fault that I'm not six feet tall."

  
"Sure thing, sweetheart." Ian said, a slight smirk making his features even handsomer. My cheeks turned even pinker from his nickname and I turned towards Hammond, so Ian wouldn't see.

  
"So, now that everyone's here, you'll begin the tour!" The old man said excitedly. "Willow will go with you, just to make sure you all stay safe."

  
Ian snorted and I looked at him curiously. "What's a five-foot, four-inch woman going to do against a T-rex?"

I resisted the urge to shove him into the potted plant he was next to. As Hammond kept talking, I zoned out. I realized that I felt that Ian was already super close to me, even though I'd only met him the day before. I glanced at him as he watched Hammond. Ian's lips were twisted in scorn and his eyebrows were raised. God, damn, he was attractive.

  
"Alright, Willow, take them to the cars!" Hammond ordered cheerfully, waving to us as I led them out the front doors. There were two vehicles waiting for us.

  
"Ooh, I want to go with Willow!" Tim cried, latching onto my arm.

  
I gently pried him off. "Sorry, kiddo, the adults and I are going in the first car, but Mr. Gennaro can go with you guys." The boy's face fell and I felt bad. "It's okay, Tim. I'll see you after the tour, I promise." I said, leaning down to kiss his head. At this, he brightened a tiny bit and he skipped to the car with his sister, the lawyer following after them.

  
"You like kids?" Ian asked, as he watched them get into the car together.

  
I shrugged. "I don't like most kids, but those ones are sweet and I love them."

  
"The boy seems to especially like you." Ian chuckled, beginning to walk to the other car. I followed behind him. "I thought he'd faint when you kissed his head."

  
I laughed, sliding into the backseat after Ian. "Well, what can I say? Most boys find me irresistible."

  
I leaned over to close the door and heard Ian mumble something. "Who can blame them?" My cheeks turned a little pink, but otherwise I gave no indication that I'd heard. Ellie and Alan were sitting in the front seat.

  
"You all ready to see dinosaurs?" I asked, smiling as they both turned to look at me.

  
Alan finally spoke. "You have no idea." He had a quiet but gruff voice.

  
"This is literally what we've been studying our whole lives, so I'd say we're fairly excited." Ellie laughed, eliciting a small grin from Alan. It was the most I'd ever seen him smile.

Just then, the car gave a jolt and we started our way towards the actual park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! Prepare for major flirting next chapter lol ;)


	4. Chapter 4

We were all quiet for the most part, when Ellie spoke up. "Dr. Malcolm? I was wondering if you could explain something to me."

  
Ian turned away from the window and smiled. "Of course."

  
"I know that you know a lot about chaos theory, so could you explain that to me?" She asked, resting her head on the edge of her chair.

  
Ian nodded, smiling. "Well, the chaos theory is used to deal with unpredictability in complex systems."

  
Ellie's eyes widened. "That went right over my head."

  
Ian chuckled. "I'm going too fast, aren't I?" He looked at me. "Here, I'll give you an example. Willow, may I borrow your hand?" I glanced away from the window and held my hand up. "And Dr. Sattler, hand me one of those water cups please." She did as he asked. "Now, if I drop some water on her hand, which way do you think it would roll?"

  
Ellie shrugged, but I spoke up. "I'll say down the thumb."

  
"Alright, down the thumb." Ian murmured, dropping a small amount of water onto my hand. It rolled down the side of my hand, not exactly on my thumb. "I'll drop another one, and where do you think it will go?"

  
"Down her wrist." Ellie said softly, as Ian dropped some more water. This time it went down my thumb. I smiled, as it kinda tickled.

  
"See? It changed." Ian said, setting down the cup of water and grabbing my hand gently. I instantly froze. His hand was warm and much larger than mine. "Because of the indentations of her hairs, her bloodstream and the imperfections of her skin, it vastly affects the outcome." Ian explained quietly, stroking my hand with two of his fingers. My mind couldn't process anything but his hand on mine.

  
Ellie was fascinated. "Alan, are you listening to this?" Alan murmured something in reply.

  
"Unpredictability." I mumbled, his hand still not leaving mine.

  
"And that's exactly what I think is happening in the park right now." Ian said, nodding, seeming satisfied with himself. He smiled, his eyes landing on me. "Life's a lot like that, isn't it?" He continued, his voice much softer, as his eyes never left mine. "You meet someone by chance you'll never meet again, and the course of the whole future changes." Ian shrugged, smiling wider. I didn't think my cheeks had ever been so red. "It's dynamic. And exciting, I think." Then he squeezed my hand and let go. I sucked in a breath, blinking. How long had we been in the car? An hour? Had it only been five minutes?

  
"Jesus, Dr. Malcolm, leave that poor girl alone. She looks so flustered." Ellie laughed, winking at me.

  
"Oh, no, I'm not—I mean, I'm fine! Not flustered!" I blurted, feeling my embarrassment mounting. I looked anywhere but at Ian, but I could still feel his eyes on me. Suddenly there was a shout from the car behind us, and I turned to see Tim clamber out of the car.

  
"What the hell is that kid doing?" Alan growled, following my gaze. I cursed, then grabbed the radio from the car.

  
"Arnold, stop the vehicles." I ordered sharply. The cars slowed to a stop and I jumped out.  
"Tim, what do you think you're doing? Get back into that car!" I called, following the boy. Suddenly I realized what he was running towards. "Shit." I hissed, breaking into a flat-out sprint. Just before Tim would grab the fence on the enclosure before him, I snatched him away. "Tim, don't go ne-"

Before I could finish, there was an unearthly screech and a velociraptor slammed into the fence. Tim screamed and grabbed onto me. I stumbled backwards a few steps, clutching the boy to me. The velociraptor let go of the fence, but stood there, watching the child and me with a scarily intelligent gaze. Then, it turned around and walked back into the brush of its enclosure silently.

  
"I'm so sorry, Willow." Tim was saying into my shirt, trembling. "I didn't know."

  
"Timmy!" Lex screamed, barreling into us. I let go of the boy and let his older sister fuss over him. I realized I was shaking from the incident as well.

  
"What the actual hell was that thing?" Ian cursed, as he and everyone else hurried over to us.

  
Alan's face was somber. "That was a velociraptor."

  
"They should all be destroyed." A familiar voice said. I turned to see Muldoon walking towards us, shaking his head. He stopped next to me. "You alright, love?" He asked quietly. I nodded, although I was still pretty shaken. If Tim had just touched that fence, he would've gotten fried alive, then ripped apart by a velociraptor. I thought it'd been a horrible idea to produce them. Muldoon squeezed my shoulder gently, then turned back towards the group. He introduced himself to everyone. Ian was staring at him rather intently.

  
"What's their growth rate?" Alan asked, crossing his strong arms over his chest.

  
"They're lethal by eight months." Muldoon shook his head. "I do lethal, but these animals are something different."

  
"How fast can they go?" Ellie questioned, narrowing her eyes.  
The game warden gazed at her intently. "Cheetah speed. Fifty, sixty miles per hour if they were out in the open. And they're amazing jumpers."

  
"Do they show intelligence?" Ian asked, looking concerned.

  
Muldoon raised an eyebrow. "They show extreme intelligence. Even problem solving." He gestured behind him. "The big one, who just tried to rip Willow and the boy to shreds, is especially smart. She was bred with seven others, but she killed all but two of them."

  
"Are the fences electrified?" The lawyer, Mr. Gennaro, asked timidly.

  
I rolled my eyes. "Of course. If they weren't, we'd all be dead, Mr. Gennaro." With that, we all started back to the vehicles. Muldoon gave me a quick one-armed hug. As I led Tim back to his car, he was quiet.

  
"I'm really sorry." He whispered, looking utterly miserable.

  
I hugged him. "It's okay, buddy. You didn't know." I helped him into his car, then slipped back into mine.

  
Ian glanced at me, looking very concerned. "You alright?"

  
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I answered, clutching my hands.

  
"Well, you came within two feet of a velociraptor and you're still shaking, so I figured you weren't okay." He replied, his lips twitching.

  
I eyed him, fighting off a smile. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

  
Ian shrugged. "That's true, I guess." A strand had come loose from my ponytail and before I realized what was happening, Ian reached up and tucked it behind my ear. His fingers lingered and brushed my cheek softly, before he pulled his hand back quickly. He cleared his throat, looking a little embarrassed. "Uh, sorry."

  
I smiled, my cheeks pink. "It's okay." Just then the vehicles started moving again. Our car was quiet, still shaken from the velociraptor episode. Then we rolled to a stop in front of the Tyrannosaurus-rex enclosure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all I hope you liked this chapter bc I think it's super cute :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't posted in a while and I'm so sorry I feel terrible! Anyways pls enjoy this chapter! <3

"The T-rex was a late creature during the dinosa-"

I switched off the annoying commentary as we all stared in awe at the towering fences for the T-rex.

  
There was a burst of static, then I heard Arnold's voice. "We're gonna try and draw her out, hold on."

I was on the side of the car that faced the enclosure, so I had a good view as they raised a goat from the ground. It was tied to a post and let out a pitiful noise. Still, nothing happened.

Ian shifted next to me and I felt his chest right behind my back. Well, that was distracting. If I wanted, I could lean backwards into his chest. I didn't move.

  
"The T-rex doesn't want to be fed." Alan whispered harshly. "She wants to hunt! You can't suppress sixty million years of gut instinct."

Then with a jolt, the cars started moving again. I turned back forward, noticing that Ian hadn't moved. He sat in the middle of the seats now, closer to me.

  
"So, Willow, where do you want to go to college after you leave the island?" Ian asked, glancing down at me.

  
I bit my lip, thinking. "Well, Stanford is my dream, but I probably wouldn't get in there, so somewhere that would accept me, I guess."

  
He chuckled. "You'd get into Stanford easily."

  
Ellie turned to look at me. "How old are you, Willow?"

  
"Twenty-four." I replied, smiling at her.

  
"Oh!" Her eyes widened. "I thought you were younger."

  
I shrugged, laughing a little bit. "It's okay. I have a bit of a baby-face, so I get that a lot."

  
"Willow here thought I was old." Ian chuckled, nudging me gently.

  
"I did not!" I said, smiling. "I just didn't realize you were so young!"

Ellie and Ian laughed, while I rolled my eyes playfully.

  
"Yes, that makes me feel a lot better." Ian smirked, looking down at me.

Suddenly Alan opened the door of the car and jumped out, while the vehicle kept moving.

  
"Alan!" Ellie cried.

  
"Um, Dr. Grant?" I called, unsure as to why he randomly climbed out. Ellie clambered out after him, ignoring my calls.

I turned to Ian, who was looking as confused as me. "Why is no one listening to me?" I sputtered, my eyes wide.

  
Ian laughed, brushing my arm with his own. "Maybe it's cause you look so cute when you're mad or flustered that no one can take you seriously."

  
It took a moment for his words to register, then I flushed. "Oh…um, yeah, thanks." Then I fumbled with the door and hurried out after Ellie and Alan.

I heard Ian chuckle, then follow me. Alan had gone out into a large field, toward a large dinosaur lying on the ground. Our veterinarian, Dr. Harding, was studying the dino, which was a stegosaurus.

  
Suddenly Lex was beside me. "What is that thing?" She whispered, her eyes wide.

  
"A stegosaurus." I answered, smiling at her. "Don't worry, honey, they're herbivores, so it won't hurt you."

  
Lex still looked wary, but then Tim spoke up. "A herbivore is one that eats plants, Lex."

  
"I know what that means!" Lex growled, glaring at her younger brother.

I laughed at their childish bickering and Lex looked up at me. "Hey, Willow, did you know I'm a herbivore?" Lex asked, a smile spreading across her face.

  
This time I threw my head back in laughter. "Are you really?"

  
"Yes. I don't eat meat." She replied, smiling widely at my reaction. Then her smile lessened. "Willow, who's that man that's staring at you?" Lex whispered, her eyes straying to something behind me.

  
I turned slightly to see Ian watching us. "That's Dr. Ian Malcolm." I replied, smiling. "Let me introduce you two to him." I led the kids over to Ian. "Ian, allow me to introduce Lex and Tim Murphy." I said, biting my lip to keep a smile from blossoming.

  
"Hello, kids, how are you?" He replied, smiling down at the children.

  
"Hi." Lex said, raising an eyebrow at him. "How come you were staring at Willow?"

  
I froze and Ian coughed, his face becoming the tiniest bit red. I felt a little smug at that. "Well, I was just wondering what she was talking about." He finally replied, becoming cool again.

  
Tim cocked his head. "How come you're wearing all black?"

  
"Because it looks nice, don't you think?" Ian answered. "And that way I don't have to waste time thinking about what matches with what."

I studied him. He'd been wearing a black leather jacket, but he'd taken it off. Now he was wearing a black button-down shirt with the top button undone.

  
Tim nodded, seeming rather impressed. "That's smart."

  
"Well, I am a scientist." Ian chuckled, gazing at Tim.

  
Lex crossed her arms, still not impressed with him. "I bet Willow's smarter than you."

  
"Lex!" I laughed. "Be nice to the poor man!"

  
Ian smiled, amused. "No, no, Lex, you're probably right."

  
"What kind of scientist are you?" Tim asked, studying the man.

  
"I'm what you call a mathematician, Tim. I deal with theories." Ian replied, with all the patience in the world.

  
"Cool." The kid grinned up at Ian, his eyes wide.

  
Lex became a little bit interested. "So, what kind of theories?" She asked, tilting her head.

  
"Well, my specialty is chaos theory, which is used to describe things that can't be predicted." He answered, smiling at Lex.

  
"What sort of stuff can't be predicted?" Tim questioned, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

  
Ian chuckled. "Oh, all sorts of things, kiddo. An example would be Willow here."

  
"What about Willow?" Lex demanded sharply, on the defensive already.

  
"Well, no one could've predicted that she'd be so gorgeous, but when you have several forces you can't control, that's what happens." He explained, shooting me a bright smile.

  
I felt my cheeks redden. Good Lord, how many times would he make me blush in one day? Lex still squinted at him suspiciously. "You think Willow's pretty?" She asked, crossing her arms.

  
Ian chuckled, shrugging. "I mean, who wouldn't?"

  
"Yeah, she's really pretty." Tim breathed, looking up at me.

  
I laughed, patting his cheek. "That's enough, Tim." I steered them towards Ellie. "Why don't you go see what they're talking about?" As the kids hurried towards the dinosaur, I glanced at Ian.

  
"Those kids are really something." He said, clasping his hands behind his back.

  
"Yeah." I murmured. "I still can't believe Hammond thought it was a good idea to bring them here though."

  
Ian nodded. "He needs someone to set him straight, that's for sure." He glanced down at me, his lips turning up into a smile. "Your cheeks are very pink, did you know that?"

  
I clapped my hands to my face, feeling them heat up. "I can't help it!" I said, feeling like a silly little schoolgirl. "Especially when people keep calling me cute, it just makes it worse!"

  
"Oh, so, it's my fault that you're blushing so much?" Ian laughed, his voice warm.

  
"Yes, damn you!" I hissed, crossing my arms.

  
He threw his head back in laughter. "I can't help it. I see a pretty woman and I naturally feel inclined to flirt with her."

  
I clenched my fists, at a loss for words. "Well…two can play at that game." I finally said, putting my hands on my hips.

  
"Oh." Ian raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Are you going to flirt with me now?"

  
I smiled, feeling more confident than I had in a long time. "We'll see." I replied, winking.

With that, I turned and walked away, towards Ellie, Alan and the children. Just as I got to them, I felt a drop of water land on my head.

  
Tim shrieked. "It's raining!"

  
"Geez, Timmy, calm down, it's only rain." Lex grumbled, rolling her eyes at him.

  
"Alright, we should probably get back." I said, placing a hand on Tim's shoulder. "Storms here have a problem of becoming huge and it's dangerous to be outside."

  
Ellie looked at me. "Would it be okay for me to go back with Dr. Harding? I want to keep checking on the stegosaurus."

  
I bit my lip. "That should be fine, but if it picks up too much, promise me you'll come back to the lodge."

  
"I promise." She nodded, smiling at me.

With that, I hurried everyone back to the cars, herding the kids into the first one, with the lawyer slipping in after them. As I walked to the other car, I sort of tripped, my feet slipping in a puddle.

Luckily, Ian was right there and he threw his arm out, catching me.

  
"Careful there, Willow." He chuckled, my hands clutching his arm.

  
"Oops." I said lightly, laughing. "My bad. I only get super klutzy around attractive men." His eyes widened and he smiled, but I cut him off by squeezing his arm. "Damn, good thing you're so strong." I murmured, winking.

Then I got into the car, sliding over to the end. Ian got in after me, still smiling, a little vacantly it seemed. The car ahead of us began moving and so did we.  
Ian opened his mouth, but I leaned towards the front seat.

"So, Dr. Grant, what are your opinions on the dinosaurs?" I asked, resting my chin on the seat in front of me.

  
The paleontologist turned to look at me. "First off, you can call me Alan, no need to be so formal." He said, offering me a small smile. I smiled back, glad that I made some progress with him. "Second off, I think the dinosaurs are beautiful, but it was a bad idea to bring them back."

  
I nodded. "I agree wholeheartedly, Alan." Then I laughed. "And you would know, since you're a paleontologist."

  
He chuckled quietly. "Yes, I suppose I would." Then he pulled a small notebook out of his pocket. "Excuse me, I need to write something down."

  
I leaned back, tucking a loose strand of hair back behind my ear. Ian was staring at me. "So, that's your plan? Play hard to get?" He said softly. I couldn't place his tone.

  
"I don't know what you're talking about." I replied sweetly, shooting him a bright smile.

  
Ian chuckled, rather darkly, shaking his head. "Ooh, you're good, sweetheart."

I ignored the shivers that went down my back at his damn nickname. I glanced out the window, just noticing how dark the sky had gotten. It was raining a lot harder than before.

With a chill, I realize we were just beginning to pass the T-rex paddock. Then with a heart-stopping jolt, the cars both stopped.


End file.
